From The Oregonian of Thursday, Nov. 30, 2000 -- Teacher accused of raping schoolgirl: Police say the victim was related to the accused 43-year-old electronics and math instructor

An electronics and math teacher at Oregon City High School has been charged with raping an elementary school-aged girl during the past year.

Samuel O. Oluwalana, 43, of West Linn was charged with two counts of first-degree rape, felonies that each carry a maximum of 8 years and four months in prison on conviction.

Oluwalana has been suspended from his job with pay pending a resolution to his case. Oluwalana appeared in Clackamas County Circuit Court via television Wednesday. He is being held on $500,000 bail and is scheduled to return to court Dec. 6.

Police are continuing their investigation of Oluwalana. Police did not rule out additional victims but said it was unlikely that Oluwalana victimized his students. However, West Linn police encouraged anyone who thinks he had inappropriate contact with Oluwalana to contact them.

The victim, who is related to Oluwalana, told her mother about the alleged sexual abuse on Sunday, said Sgt. Neil Hennelly of the West Linn Police Department. On Monday, the girl's mother contacted a family counselor, who reported the alleged abuse to the state Office for Services to Children and Families.

Oluwalana allegedly last abused the child Sunday, police said.

Oluwalana has worked at Oregon City High School since the 1998-99 school year. He is married and has five children, ranging from 2 months to 10 years old.

Oregon City school officials said Wednesday that Oluwalana is an excellent teacher who has been instrumental in developing the high school's electronics program. He helped rebuild the program after a fire last month damaged the microelectronics classroom.

"He has been really involved in getting all of that back together again," said Bonnie Webber, director of personnel for the school district.

Oluwalana also teaches math at the high school. Teachers were told about Oluwalana's arrest in a staff meeting Wednesday afternoon.

Oluwalana holds three academic degrees, all from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. He has a bachelor's degree in education with a major in vocational and industrial education, a master's degree in vocational education and a doctorate in education leadership, according to the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, the agency that licenses Oregon teachers.

Oluwalana taught at a boys school in Nigeria from 1983 through 1987, according to state records. From 1989 through 1997, Oluwalana taught in Arizona schools. He came to Oregon in 1998.

Oluwalana has a clean disciplinary record, according to the teacher commission. To receive a teaching license in Oregon, Oluwalana underwent a criminal background check, which turned up nothing, state officials said.

He is originally from Nigeria and is a permanent resident of the United States.

Anyone with information about the case should call the West Linn police at 503-655-6214.

-- Noelle Crombie

From The Oregonian of Wednesday, April 25, 2001 -- District sues former Oregon City teacher: The action on electronic equipment sales comes as Samuel O. Oluwalana faces trial on rape charges

A former teacher facing trial on rape charges is under investigation for allegedly selling electronics equipment from Oregon City High School, where he oversaw the school's microelectronics lab.

Samuel O. Oluwalana, 43, praised last fall for rebuilding the microelectronics lab after a fire, is being sued by the Oregon City School District on accusations of taking equipment from the high school and selling it for almost $20,0000.

"This was a huge surprise to everybody, including me," said Oregon City Superintendent Barry Rotrock. "He was a very formal, very proper individual that seemed to be very conscientious."

No criminal charges against Oluwalana have been filed, but Oregon City police say the investigation into the former teacher is continuing.

Oluwalana is in the Clackamas County Jail awaiting trial on two counts of first-degree rape. The alleged victim was a child. Trial is set for July 24. He resigned from his Oregon City teaching position March 31.

According to the civil suit filed in Clackamas County Circuit Court, Oluwalana bought electronics equipment on behalf of the school district from Northwest Test & Measurement between Sept. 15 and Sept. 19, 2000.

Then, on Sept. 29, a fire did hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to the microelectronics lab at the high school.

Later in the fall, according to the suit, Oluwalana sold some district equipment back to Northwest Test & Measurement for $19,218.

Oregon City school officials first realized the equipment was missing after Oluwalana's Nov. 28 arrest on rape charges, Rotrock said. Most of the electronics equipment has since been recovered.

Before coming to Oregon City in 1998, Oluwalana was the subject of a fraud investigation in Arizona, where he worked as a supervisor of vocational programs for the Flagstaff Unified School District.

In 1997, he was charged with fraudulent schemes, a felony, in Coconino County Superior Court. He was accused of misappropriating school district grant money, according to defense attorney Bryon Middlebrook.

As part of a deferred prosecution program, Middlebrook said, Oluwalana did not admit guilt. But according to court documents, he agreed to reimburse the district for $13,716, perform as much as 200 hours of community service and receive counseling.

The case was dismissed in March 2000, according to the Coconino County Clerk's Office, after Oluwalana had completed the program.

Rotrock said the school district conducted a thorough reference check before hiring Oluwalana and turned up nothing but positive reviews.

Oluwalana holds three academic degrees, all from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. He taught at a boys school in Nigeria from 1983 through 1987, according to state records. From 1989 through 1997, he taught in Arizona schools.

-- Stephen Beaven and Noelle Crombie

From The Oregonian of Wednesday, July 25, 2001 -- Ex-Oregon High teacher pleads guilty in child sex case

OREGON CITY -- A former Oregon City High School teacher pleaded guilty on Tuesday to raping and sexually abusing a girl.

Clackamas County Circuit Judge Eve Miller set a Sept. 14 sentencing for Samuel Olusegun Oluwalana of West Linn on one count each of first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree rape. The 43-year-old Nigerian citizen faces a possible maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and $400,000 in fines.

Oluwalana, who holds the immigrant status of permanent resident of the United States, began teaching electronics and mathematics at the high school in the 1998-99 academic year. After the sex-crime allegations came to light in November, he was suspended with pay pending the outcome of the case.

The girl Oluwalana abused is not old enough to be in high school, and there is no allegation that he victimized any of his students.

A civil lawsuit filed against him by the school district is pending in Circuit Court, and a criminal investigation is under way by the Oregon City police. Both are based on accusations that Oluwalana stole more than $19,000 worth of computer equipment belonging to the district.

No criminal charges have been filed. Nor has a civil trial date been set in connection with those allegations, which are detailed in an amended complaint the district filed March 7.

From The Oregonian of Monday, Dec. 3, 2001 -- Ex-Oregon City teacher sentenced for sex crimes: Samuel O. Oluwalana, 44, also faces a civil suit by the school district claiming theft of school property

A former Oregon City High School teacher was sentenced Friday to 14 years and seven months in prison for raping and sexually abusing a young girl.

Samuel O. Oluwalana, 44, pleaded guilty in July to rape and sexual abuse in Clackamas County Circuit Court. He apologized Friday for his actions before Judge Raymond R. Bagley Jr. imposed the sentence.

"I'm very, very sorry," he said, standing before the judge in shackles and a jail uniform. "I know I have caused a lot of trouble. I wish I could take back everything I've done."

Oluwalana was hired by the school district in August 1998 and taught math and electronics. He was suspended after the sex abuse allegations came to light and resigned March 31 of this year.

The Oregon City School District filed a civil suit against Oluwalana in March, alleging he took electronics equipment from the high school and sold it for about $19,000. The school district estimates he sold other stolen equipment for an additional $11,000, said Bonnie Webber, director of human resources for the district.

The Oregon City Police Department is conducting an investigation into those allegations. Webber said she hopes the investigation will be completed so the case can be forwarded to the Clackamas County district attorney's office to determine whether charges should be filed.

Oluwalana was charged with raping the girl, whom he knew, on Nov. 26, 2000, and sexually abusing her between Jan. 1 and Nov. 25 of last year.

His attorney, Bruce Shepley, called a county psychiatrist who has treated Oluwalana to testify about his mental state.

Keith D. Conant, who said he testified at Oluwalana's request, said his patient had been diagnosed with depression and a schizophrenia-type disorder. Oluwalana also was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome, a result of physical and sexual abuse he suffered as a child, Conant said.

Deputy District Attorney Jody Vaughan told Bagley that on one hand, Oluwalana has portrayed himself as a good father and teacher. But Vaughan said Oluwalana also threatened the victim if she told anyone about their sexual relationship.

"He's not the wonderful, kind person he would have you believe," she said.